2000 Honda Insight

Our first gas-electric hybrid arrives with great expectations, and leaves with pretty good results.

Other complaints were minor. Almost everyone who drove the Insight on extended voyages wound up yearning for a cruise control. "Coupled with an unyielding throttle spring, the lack of cruise control quickly produces an aching right leg," wrote one long-hauler. We expected a cruise option when the CVT version came along, but so far no soap, and there's no plan for one.

There were a few—very few—negative comments about the seats, with their minimalist padding, and some random observations about detail shortcomings. The rear hatch has no interior release, for example, nor is there an electric key-fob release. Operating the hatch is a two-step chore. There's no tether for the gas cap.

On the other hand, aside from a couple of minor rattles, our only mechanical problems with the Insight were related to cosmetics. For example, the plastic rear-wheel skirts were prone to popping loose when the Dzus-type fasteners securing them came loose. Worse, it was usually a leading-edge fastener that would give up, leaving the skirt flapping in the breeze and bending the mounting brackets. These fasteners—nickel-size heads, with half-inch-long shanks—cost $14.75 to replace. Each.

Aside from replacing fasteners, though, our only maintenance costs were related to scheduled inspections and oil-and-filter changes—five of them—at 7500-mile intervals. The electric motor required no attention whatsoever. Zero. All told the various service stops added up to $374, and even though the fuel economy tallied in a little south of our expectations, our total fuel expenditure was just $942.

The Insight was a little slower in its final test session than it was when new—0 to 60 in 11.3 seconds versus 11.2—but its stopping distances improved by some 22 feet, from a marginal 197 feet to a very respectable 175. We attribute this to the effect of moderate tire wear: Within limits, reduced tread equals better braking.

In the end, we emerged with high respect for the Insight's brilliant engineering—this car paves the way for more hybrid technology—tempered by a few nit-picks. And although we profess some disappointment with 48 mpg over 40,000 miles, we must admit it's a noteworthy achievement.